The invention relates to a dispenser for discharging a single medium or two or more media in a sequence of doses or discharging two or more media at the same time in an individual dose. Each of the media may be a liquid, a paste, a powder, a solid tablet or, may be in a gaseous form. The media may be discharged via separate outlet ducts and respective outlets or via a common outlet duct and may be intermingled either in the outlet flow or prior to entering the outlet flow. In all dispensing actions, the dispenser permits ease of handling as well as actuation with a single hand. The dispenser is comprised of plastic, particularly injection molded parts, and may also contain glass parts.
A general object of the invention is to provide a dispenser which overcomes the drawbacks of known configurations and which permits discharge particularly of two media of the same, or of differing aggregate conditions, which are held entirely separate from each other and then discharged in a plurality of individual doses. Another object is that each medium is decantable or drawn into a metering chamber prior to discharge, before then being discharged directly from this metering chamber. A further object is to permit thorough mingling or easy amalgamating of the media. Still another object is to provide a compact configuration of the dispenser which is easy to handle and simple to manufacture and assemble. A further object is to protect the media from contamination by germs prior to discharge.
According to the invention the dispenser comprises a base body including a reservoir unit to be provided with a discharge unit for repeated output of the medium dosages from the reservoir unit. The discharge unit could be simply a pour out port for emptying the reservoir unit or it could be some other delivery unit to be preassembled and fitted to the base body, but the discharge unit is preferably a pump.
If the media are to be simply discharged completely from the reservoir unit in one operation, a pump having a single stroke direction is sufficient. Where a multiple-dose discharge is required, the pump executes either an incremental stroke progressing in one direction or an alternating advance and return stroke by which the metering or pump chamber is first emptied and then refilled with the medium from the reservoir unit. The pump may also be formed by a resilient squeeze bottle bounding the reservoir space(s) or mixing chambers for the two media.
The mixing chamber may be separate from both reservoir spaces, may be common with one of the reservoir spaces or may be in common with both reservoir spaces, a good rinsing of these spaces then being provided by mixing.
One reservoir space is a preassembled, filled or sealingly closed module secured to the other reservoir so that the reservoir spaces are separated from each other only by an integral closure member. On opening this closure member, which is flexible on bending or pressure stress, each medium is able to flow from its reservoir space into all other reservoir spaces. The closure member or some other member may then form a swirler guide in the mixing chamber. For instance, this swirler guide may be entirely freely movable in the mixing chamber by mass forces after it has been released or snapped off from its mount on the base body.
Prior to mixing the media, the mixing chamber or the reservoir spaces may be volumetrically smaller than at the start of merging and thereafter. For example, a concave wall of a reservoir space may be turned inside out into a convex shape and then protrude or submerge into another reservoir space, as a result of which the pressure in this other reservoir space is increased which also enhances initial activation or priming of the discharge unit.
The invention provides a receptacle body having two separate reservoir openings to be closed by separate members and/or located opposite each other coaxially. Each opening is formed by a neck constricted as compared to the main portion of the reservoir body. This neck has an integral and protruding mounting fixture for a counter-member, such as a snap ring, a metallic crimp ring, a threaded member or the like. The counter-member serves to sealingly fasten or tension a closure unit which may include the discharge unit or the module including the second reservoir space. The reservoir body is integral and its necks may be identical so that both closure members are to be sealingly secured optionally to each of these necks.